Many Fear Erdogan's New Powers - Timur Kuran interviewed in The Jerusalem Post

Friday, July 13, 2018

The country has been under a state of emergency for almost two years since the failed 2016 coup, but Erdogan said he would end it after the election. Under the new system, a state of emergency lasts for six months instead of three and Erdogan can declare one without needing the approval of parliament.

That change takes away one of the last checks on the president’s power, Duke University professor of economics and political science Timur Kuran told The Media Line. All checks and balances are now gone. The only thing that can stop him from trying to control everything in society is the domestic markets and the global markets.”

Kuran said that those markets would react badly if Erdogan went too far in his overreach of government. “The economy will tank, that’s the only thing that can restrain the degree of repression.”

“All checks and balances are now gone. The only thing that can stop him from trying to control everything in society is the domestic markets and the global markets.”